Baltimore Ord. 21-0124, the Tenant Right to Counsel Ordinance enacted in 2021, guarantees free legal representation in eviction proceedings to income-eligible Baltimore tenants and is administered through the Office of Civil Justice.
Ordinance 21-0124 made Baltimore one of the first US cities to recognize a right to counsel in landlord-tenant rent-court matters. The Office of Civil Justice within the Mayor's Office partners with legal-aid providers to deliver representation to tenants at or below 50% of area median income facing failure-to-pay-rent, holdover, or breach-of-lease cases in District Court. The ordinance also requires landlords to deliver a city-prescribed notice of right to counsel with every eviction filing and allows tenants to raise lack of notice as an affirmative defense. Phased rollout achieved full coverage by FY2025.
Landlords who fail to serve the prescribed right-to-counsel notice may have their failure-to-pay-rent case dismissed without prejudice and face habitability counterclaims supported by appointed counsel.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Health Code Title 9 sets a 55 dB(A) residential property-line limit, reduced 10 dB at night (10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays; midnight-7 a.m. weekends), wi...
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore has no city ordinance restricting lawn ornaments on residential property. Property maintenance under Article 13 requires yard upkeep but does not a...
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore has no city ordinance regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, lighting, and blower noise are governed by condo/HOA covenants. Hea...
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore has no municipal ordinance regulating residential holiday lights. Display timing, brightness, and animation are governed by HOA/condo covenants and...
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore requires building permits for outdoor kitchens with gas lines, electrical wiring, plumbing, or structural roofs. Trade permits filed through DHCD e...
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore has no specific smoker ordinance, but the Health Code Title 9 noise limits and air quality standards may apply. Maryland Department of the Environm...
See how Baltimore's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.